ATLANTA -- The over-burdened, beleagured Atlanta Public Schools are now saddled with more than $1 million per month in salaries being paid to 130 teachers connected with the CRCT cheating scandal. Those teachers have been placed on leave with pay.

Interim Superintendent Erroll Davis, Jr., says the teachers will remain off work but will receive their full pay while their cases are under official review.

The school system was already over budget to the tune of $20 million in instructional costs for the 2010-2011 school year.

Davis says $14 million of that overage was covered by stimulus funds and budget cuts, but the school system was left with $6 million to make up in the upcoming school year.

"We had some unrealistic budgets which were far overspent, and I think we need to recognize the reality of what it takes to teach our children," Davis said. "It's our job to drive that number to zero as quickly as possible, because that million dollars comes from our budget."

An additional 109 teachers are being hired as part of the school system's regular employment practices. Those teachers are not replacements for the 130 teachers implicated and placed on leave as part of the CRCT scandal. Replacements for those educators are still yet to be hired.

The administrative staff is in the process of finalizing the $578 million budget for next year. That budget is due within the next few days.